No Emotion Too Big

I’ll never forget something God reminded me of in a hospital room.

We were visiting a dear friend who had just had a baby. A few minutes into our visit, her newborn son woke up from his slumber and began to cry. I’ll never forget the words of comfort she spoke to her wailing son as she scooped him into her arms: “Tell Mama about it.”

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As she rocked him, held him close, and found out his needs, her opening words set the tone, telling him something really important: his tears and cries were not too much for her. She wanted him to share what was going on in his world, no matter how piercing his communication might be.

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And that really reminded me of Jesus. He wants us to share with Him what we’re experiencing, telling Him how we’re feeling and what we need. He promises to be with us—even in our most tearful moments. He is the One who will meet our needs, and His presence is what we need most. In other words, God says the same thing to us that my friend said to her baby: “Tell Me about it.”

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What amazes me is that no emotion we experience is too big for God. In fact, in the book of Psalms in the Bible, we find all kinds of people who loved God and talked with Him about their deepest hurts, questions, and feelings—even when those feelings were piercing and loud.

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I’m really glad that God showed us in His Word that He wants to comfort us, even in our hardest and loudest moments. And there’s more good news: because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave, He promises He will one day make all things new, free from sin and free from tears (Revelation 21:1-5)! Even now, as we look on Jesus’s work on the cross and at the resurrection, as Christians, we can know that Jesus is with us now and forever, weeping with us and working on our behalf, no matter what we need or what we face. 

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• Read Psalm 42. What emotions do you notice in this psalm? How might the intense emotions shown in this and other psalms give you comfort when you talk with God? (If you want to dig deeper, read Psalms 43, 56, and 69.)

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• Read Matthew 6:9-13. This is an example prayer Jesus used to show His followers how to pray. What is surprising about this prayer?

…casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7 (CSB)

Read Verses:

Ps.56|Matt.6.9-Matt.6.13|1Pet.5.7